Set Your Start Date during QuickBooks 2012 EasyStep Interview

One of the big question you are asked during QuickBooks 2012's EasyStep Interview is about the conversion date. Perhaps the key decision that you make in setting up any accounting system is the day on which you begin using your new system. This is called the conversion date.

Typically, you want to begin using an accounting system on either the first day of the year or the first day of a new month. You are prompted to identify the start date by using the dialog box shown.

The easiest time to start using a new accounting system is at the beginning of the year. The reason? You get to enter a simpler trial balance. At the start of the year, for example, you enter only asset, liability, and owner’s equity account balances.

At any other time, you also enter year-to-date income and year-to-date expense account balances. Typically, you have this year-to-date income and expense information available only at the start of the month. For this reason, the only other feasible start date that you can pick is the start of a month.

In this case, you get year-to-date income amounts through the end of the previous month from your previous accounting system. For example, if you’ve been using Peachtree, get year-to-date income and expense amounts from Peachtree.

After you provide the start date, you have supplied the basic company information, you’ve identified most of your accounting preferences, and you’ve identified the date on which you want to start using QuickBooks. You’re almost done.

If you click the Leave button, QuickBooks leaves you in the QuickBooks program, ready to get to work. However, the EasyStep Interview process isn’t lost forever; to get back into the interview, just open the file you were in the process of setting up. When you do, the EasyStep Interview restarts.